Changing Christmas 2012

This year we have decided to celebrate Christmas a little differently this year around Casa Team Carver... okay, a lot differently! To explain our decision, I feel the urge to give a quick peek into our families lives. I don't know if it's the guilt creeping in or the fear/anxiety of what's to come this holiday season...

I honestly enjoy shopping for Christmas presents for the people I love. I like bundling up in my scarf & boots and trucking through town from store to store searching for that personal gift for my husband or mama or niece or Godchildren or whomever is on my mile long list of gift getter's. I would bring home the presents, bust out the Christmas wrap, pour me a glass of wine and sit by the Christmas tree wrapping presents for hours. I love bringing joy to my family. Last year, my husband, sister & brother-in-law surprised my sweet mama with a new TV. The emotion she uncontrollably released when she tore into the "big gift" was priceless. She started bawling... like sobbing... all over a TV. A TV that we have sitting in our house, my sister has & pretty much everyone I know. It wasn't a plasma or 3D or 52 inches but it was just a regular Vizio. It was an awesome feeling & it's hard to imagine what Christmas will be like this year with NO PRESENTS!

Besides the emotional response like my mama's last year, the genuine excitement of gifts has become few and far between... the spirit Christmas has started dwindling rapidly for me. Please don't misinterpret as me being a scrooge or not in the Christmas spirit this year. It's not like that at all. I remember for the past couple of years, sitting & admiring our Christmas tree and as I would look at all the boxes, bags & bows (literally spilling out half way across our den floor) having this feeling of "This isn't right. I don't think this is what this is suppose to look like..." Which brings me to "Changing Christmas 2012".

I give thanks to God regularly for the financial well-being our families have. We all have jobs and food on the table. I don't know of any of our relatives that are in a financial bind or are doing without. I'm not saying any of us are rich by any means nor am I bragging but just simply saying that we are blessed. So what it seems that gift giving has come down to is swapping money. I'll get you a picture frame & you'll get me a sweater. Or better yet, let's just give each other a $25 gift card to Target or the mall. What's the point? Do you truly need that picture frame? Do I really need to go spend $25 at Target? My honest answer is no, no we don't. (I feel like I sound like a bad person!! That sounds terrible right?? I know it does. Black & white can be brutally honest.) So back to our plan... 

This year J & I have asked our loving family for no gifts this Christmas & delicately explained (well, J delicately explained) that we will not be giving gifts to friends or family. Instead, we are donating!!  We are giving from our family to another. We are so excited about this change of Christmas tradition! We haven't quite decided how much or which organizations yet but we do know that it will go to someone or something that needs it more that we do. Isn't this the true meaning of CHRISTmas after all? Being selfless & giving to those in need? We're going to give a try & see how it all works out. I'll let you know! Please say a pray for us to make this a positive experience that leads to good things. That would be a great gift... pray for us. It's free & there's no waiting in line.

XOXO